Mail-bag catching and delivering device.



M. L. BOWEN. MAIL BAG CATCHING AND DELIVERING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 30. 1916. 1,214,127. Patented Jan. 30, 1917.

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M. L. BOWEN. MAIL BAG CATCHING AND DELIVERING DEVICE. APPLICATION mu) Oct. 30, ms.

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Patented J an. 30, 1917.

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MARTIN I1. BOWEN, OF NEVJ EAGLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

MAIL-BAG CATGI-IING AND DELIVERING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 30, 1917.

Application filed October 30, 1916. Serial No. 128,560.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARTIN L. BOWEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Eagle, in the county of Washington, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Bag Catching and Delivering Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in mail bag catching and delivering devices.

One object of the present invention is to provide a device of this character which is positive in its action to simultaneously catch and deliver mail bags when a moving train passes.

Another object is to provide a device of this character whereby the bags will be firmly delivered and received without the danger or inconvenience of the bags being lost.

A further object is to provide a device of this character which will handle the bags with a minimum wear on the bags.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved mail bag catcher and delivering device. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the device, together with the car attached device. Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional View taken on the line l4: of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an end view of the device, looking into the larger end. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the clips 26 and 27, carried by the car-carried arm.

Referring particularly to the accompanying drawing, 10 represents an elevated structure which is built at one side of the railway 11. The structure includes the longitudinally extending upper beams 12 and lower beams 13. Disposed between the upper and lower beams are the two transversely arched and longitudinally extending tapering members 14, which form a chute for the reception of the mail bag delivered thereto by the train. Secured to the upper and lower beams, respectively, are the bowed springs 15 and 16, the same being secured by their intermediate portions, and having their ends slidably engaged through guide loops 17 carried by the outer convex faces of the ends of the members 141. To insure that the action of the springs will be even at both the larger and smaller ends of the chute, the intermediate portions of the springs are secured by means of tapering strips 18 to the said beams. At the lower side of the larger end of the lower member 1 1, there is formed a downwardly and outwardly tapering or inclined lip 19, which insures of the proper entry of the mail bag into the chute.

At the ends of the upper and lower beams, and at the ends above and below the smaller end of the chute, there are secured the pivoted arms 20, the same being held, respectively, in an upwardly and outwardly and a downwardly and outwardly inclined position by means of the springs 21, which are disposed between the respective beams and the said arms. Arranged to be engaged over these arms are the end loops 22 of the mail bag 23.

On the outer end of the mail catching arm 2% of the car 25, there are secured the forwardly extending pair of spring fingers 26, which grip the bag suspended between the arms 20, before-mentioned, and the rearwardly extending spring lingers 27 which support the bag to be delivered and which is received in the larger end of the chute. It will be noted that the upper and lower members let are spaced apart to provide a longitudinally extending slot 28 through which the car arm 24 is arranged to move while delivering and receiving a bag. It will, of course, be understood that the bag carried by the arm 24;, will be held firmly and will only be disengaged therefrom by the wedging of the bag in the smaller end of the chute. Thus the delivered bag will be detached from the arm before the bag carried by the arms 20 is grasped in the forwardly extending fingers 26. Thus a bag can be efiectively delivered from a moving train and one taken thereon without any interference of the one with the other as the first is positively delivered before the bag to be received is reached.

What is claimed is:

A mail bag-catching and delivering device consisting of a suitable elevated structure, a longitudinally extending and horizontally split tapering chute, resilient elements supporting the chute on the structure whereby the sections of the chute will. move the train afterthe train carried bag has been 10 yieldably toward and away from each other, received in the chute.

said chute being arranged for the reception In testimony whereo'filafiix my signature,

of a bag from a passing train, a bag guiding in the presence of two witnesses.

means carried by one of the sections of the chute, and inclinedand spring pressed arms I MARTIN L. BOWEN. carried by the structure for supporting a Witnesses:

bag to be taken up by the train, said bag E. B. COCHRAN,

support being arranged to deliver the bag to r H. H. WILLIAMS.

Copies bf this-patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing, the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington; D. '0'. 

